The UAFC

Ok, very early in the week to start talking about this but feel we need to put the weekends lesson behind us.

IF we had been more clinical in the first half, IF we had made our first up tackles and stayed switched on in the 2nd we might have saved ourselves a bonus point or at least denied them one. Sadly it was not to be. The players will take a long hard look at themselves, they know they've fecked up. Could be the making of us, our new SA contingent now know there is a bit more to Northern Hemisphere club rugby than beating a few scottish teams at home or the Italians, no offence to either. We gotta make the most of our opportunities, gotta be more clinical. We were making good yards in the forwards yet made the same mistakes as Bath in trying to throw it wide. Keep it tight and hammer them. I hope to see a backlash against Edinburgh. For what it's worth I'd have,

15. McIlwaine, 14. Trimble, 13. Spence, 12. Wallace, 11. Gilroy, 10. iHumph, 9. Pienaar

1. Court, 2. Best, 3. Botha, 4. Muller, 5. Barker, 6. Ferris, 7. Willie, 8. Henry

I'm assuming Diack and Danielli are both injured.

Thought Mcilwaine was evry poor in the 2nd half (then again who wasn't)

Conor Gaston has been going great this seaosn for Dungannon and scored a try at the weekend for the ravens

Would like to see if he can step up

Big-al wrote:Thought Mcilwaine was evry poor in the 2nd half (then again who wasn't)

Conor Gaston has been going great this seaosn for Dungannon and scored a try at the weekend for the ravens

Would like to see if he can step up

Have to admit I haven't seen much of Gaston. Maybe a big ask to throw him into the Big Barn that is Murrayfield and with a relatively inexperienced full back. I think McIlwaine did enough to warrant another go, he was solid under the high ball but does look like he needs to bulk up a bit. Gilroy is a finisher and a winger, with Danielli out he should be given the chance with Whitten and D'Arcy on the bench.

Murrayfield is the last place you want to go when you're looking for a big performance! The "big barn" i completely devoid of atmosphere and I think we have really struggled to lift our game there in the past!

Anybody got an update on Cave?

Do we no lose the Irish internationals next week? Mind after the weekend we may have a full strength side!

Ferris missed a couple of weeks there so he should play, best will have to play some part as the Ravens are playing and Brady will more than likely be with them

Big-al wrote:best will have to play some part as the Ravens are playing and Brady will more than likely be with them

Who are the Ravens playing?

Bring Humph On!! wrote:Murrayfield is the last place you want to go when you're looking for a big performance! The "big barn" i completely devoid of atmosphere and I think we have really struggled to lift our game there in the past!

Anybody got an update on Cave?

we did alright at the end of last season!

Fair point!

I just think we would be ina better position to pull out a big performance in a cauldron of an atmosphere rather than being surrounded by tumbleweeds!

by Jackie Brown » Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:15 am
I'm assuming Diack and Danielli are both injured.

Henry went off injured too after only playing 20mins, think he actually got injured about 5mins in and huffed and puffed the rest of the way through because we had no more cover.

by Big-al » Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:19 am
Thought Mcilwaine was evry poor in the 2nd half (then again who wasn't)

Agreed but whole team was, he was very good in the first 20 at FB before he got switched to the wing (personally dont know why he plays here, he hasnt really doen for any age group side or his club very much, hes always been a full back )

by Jackie Brown » Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:34 am
I think McIlwaine did enough to warrant another go, he was solid under the high ball but does look like he needs to bulk up a bit.

6'3 and 20 years old . . . the filling will come!

by Bring Humph On!! » Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:48 am
Anybody got an update on Cave?

He was due to be out for 2/3 weeks, so theres 1 down!

fuzzylogic wrote:Henry went off injured too after only playing 20mins, think he actually got injured about 5mins in and huffed and puffed the rest of the way through because we had no more cover.

Reports suggest Henry played for 10 mins. and was replaced by Andi K. Confirmation from elsewhere would be appreciated for the player records.

cables wrote:

fuzzylogic wrote:Henry went off injured too after only playing 20mins, think he actually got injured about 5mins in and huffed and puffed the rest of the way through because we had no more cover.

Reports suggest Henry played for 10 mins. and was replaced by Andi K. Confirmation from elsewhere would be appreciated for the player records.

Sounds about right Cables although Sky missed him go off I'd say he was on for about 10.

Andi K spotted packing down at blindside later in the game.

Ta CM

Aye your right, wasnt even 20mins, according to the BBC Henry came on for Diack on 62 and came off again on 73!

Big-al wrote:Thought Mcilwaine was evry poor in the 2nd half (then again who wasn't)

Conor Gaston has been going great this seaosn for Dungannon and scored a try at the weekend for the ravens

Would like to see if he can step up

Aye but McIlwaine played well when he was actually at FB, on that evidence (and it's the first time I've seen him play FB) he looks more solid at the back than either Smith or D'Arcy.

I can't see Gaston featuring, I've never seen him play, I hear he's quite good, but I doubt McLaughlin will take a risk like that.

The Edinburgh game is huge now because we really don't want to slip into a slump of form, losing away to Biarritz (no matter how disapointing a second half performance it was) is hardly the end of the world in terms of results but we need to get back on the right track asap, therefore I can't see there being much tweaking with what McLaughlin sees as his best available XV.